Saturday, May 5, 2012

Notes on art and weaving (and vegan impression)

I am returning some books today but had marked places and parts I liked and wanted to refer to later, some other time.
So this is to note a few things (not everything).
Yesterday was an odd day. The 1st was so very good, a good presence, the 2nd felt something was wrong and it was sad and more depressed. The 3rd of this month was a strong prayer presence as well, which made me think "was it necessary to swear? you didn't even feel like swearing..." Then the 4th was ups and downs with energy. My legs began shaking twice, when I was discussing or writing about being raped, to an officer. I felt the Holy Spirit. It wasn't nerves, I could tell something was important in some way but don't know why for sure.
On the 1st thought to start my non-profit, but not on the 2nd, on the 3rd yes, on the 4th no...I think I'm waiting until my son's birthday to even apply for an EIN but I did feel a go-on the 1st and 3rd.
I have not been listening to music. Turned it off entirely for a few days aside from one or two songs. I had an impression to be strict vegan. Not just from me but then a strange confirmation from a woman with dark hair. She was older than me I think but not really old and just as I was sort of thinking is there anything you want me to do right now? or for confirmation on something, I saw this dramatic cut demonstrated by the arm of a woman with dark brown hair and it was "vegan". Her arm was up high and raised and she brought it down with finality and with the word Vegan. It was sort of like a separation, and absolute, no more messing around.
I personally believe in full and absolute freedom. I mean, I think that in faith all things are good and permissable and we just don't want to be a stumblingblock to others. But I feel freedom to drink if I want, eat meat if I want, whatever I want to do, I think God would bless and that He doesn't ask for fasts all the time (chosen fast is giving and administering true justice). But I also believe sometimes, for whatever reason, something might be asked, and if we are personally feeling we might do something, then we do it.
I am still not extremely strict with myself, but after that, I felt it wasn't military and thought it went with where I was thinking to go, maybe for a short time of a year and I don't know why for sure.
I don't know anyone who is Vegan. I looked it up once and only 1% of English and !% of Americans are Vegan. When I had the impression of the woman, it wasn't that I was thinking, in that moment, about veganism. Which is why when I got this word with the action, I knew it wasn't imagination. It was also a true flash of a picture while I was still awake. I saw it like I saw a movie with my eyes open.
It wasn't a hallucination and I wasn't taking anything weird. I was praying and prayed to God is there anything you want me to do?
And then suddenly, this arm from straight up in the sky, coming down without bending at the elbow, with force, and "vegan". And that was it. Just dark brown hair, arm coming down like a separating movement and this word. If it was out of the blue I'd disregard but since I am already leaning this direction, it sort of helped me, or encouraged me rather, to do it.
(UPDATE: asked my mother what she thought and we think the same thing, who knows and there are red herrings and then again angels look like people sometimes. The arm was not coming from the sky, but raised up to the sky and then slicing down. I told my mom, "Well I didn't see someone in my house like I thought they lived there and I could touch them. And my eyes weren't closed either, because I prayed and then I moved across my bed with my eyes open and when my eyes were open, after I had prayed, I saw this and it was sort of like in the mind but almost a flash right in front of me, but I didn't think they were in my house. But it wasn't completely like it was just in my mind because it was right in front of my eyes." Anyway, I have no religious feeling about it, and nothing in my beliefs says I need to do this, it's more just for non-exploitation of animals. I told her, "I didn't see a face but I thought it was a woman because the hair was long and just kind of knew or thought so and then when I got "vegan" it wasn't a woman's voice and I didn't hear a man's voice. It was just like a word: "vegan"." She said why not just not eat pork and I said, "Well, for me I'm not vegan for a religious reason but for less animal suffering."). If there is some other reason to it, well, then, who knows.
Anyway, that was a strange thing that happened about a week or more ago. I wasn't being tortured when it happened. It was afternoon or something, not while I was sleeping or anytime near this. I would say it lasted one full second--it was that fast.
I would not make a decision for my life based on something like this unless I already felt it was right.Even for a short part of my life. I wasn't praying a long time either, maybe a couple of minutes and then it was instant.
Why a woman? I have no idea. I didn't see her face at all. I think she was white or lighter skin at least if not white-American in nationality, and this arm coming down sharply, in a straight line, not bending. And her hair was not pulled back and was at least shoulder-length or a little longer than that. Maybe an angel? maybe someone just giving me a msg? no clue. I sort of think it was her left arm but not for sure which arm. I was seeing her as though standing to her left and she was not facing me directly, eye to eye, but sort of turned to face to my left or at an angle.
I turned on music today and last night a little and heard some 80s music. This morning it was "Baby I love your way" from 1976 and then a few others and I turned it and thought it was Aretha Franklin but it was someone else I think, singing a song I've not heard before, "Aim for the heart; don't aim for the head" and then christian radio about 2012 and end-time prophecies (not to listen to dates) and then classical. Heard something by Rayfahn (?) Williams that I liked, by London Symphony, ending at about 1:05 p.m. Then I've been listening since. I like what they're playing. It was debussey and now strings (Dastartini) played by Andrew Manns.
From the Shuttlecraft Book of American Hand-Weaving by Mary Meigs Atwater: I made these notes awhile ago and some of them are for patterns, and others are for something in text.
P. 6-7 marked I think for text. And I liked the nest of eggs in the corner of the Jaquard.
p. 23. For Whig Rose (draft number 91) and maybe text.
p. 41. Text I think, noting "pick up sticks" and the warp and reed. I thought the history and way it's made is interesting, even names of parts.
p. 49 (for a different day when I wanted to think of something for my son and landed randomly on "blazing star" but it wasn't for something I picked out)
p. 148. Honeysuckle pattern (draft 6). Like the variation.
p. 192. Queen's Patch (draft 123). Attractive geometry.
p. 214. I liked the draft from the ancient Penn. notebok and the diagram's on 215. (I took notes in a book and might find them, sort of think I mentioned some of it already). These include ancient damask and queen's patch that I liked and are part of patterns for "summer and winter" double, double-face twill and damask weaving (2 block patterns).
p. 235. Series VII: some six-block and eight-block figures. I like the drafts here, and almost all are from ancient books. I like the top four and not the bottom ones as much.
p. 254. #4. Two block pattern , similiar to draft 163.
p. 260. The Three Flowers (taken from ancient coverlet, draft 209).
I had more marked but would have to find the paper. At the end there is a short section of Peruvian, Indian, and Mexican weaving and my favorite designs were Peruvian. They made me smile and have a cheerful sense of humor with the layout. I like a lot of Mexican things, but from the examples shown just here, I liked the Peruvian ones.
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From Glass of the World by George Savage:
1. I notice today there are two chandeliers by designed by Robert Jones and made by Parker & Perry. The one that caught my attention was the lotus one for the Music room, not the lotus one for the banqueting room. It's interesting too, but I noticed the music room one more. p.98-99. Like Tiffany lamp most, but of all the chandeliers, this was was sort of gaudy to me but I wanted to look at it more.
2. p. 12. thought workmanship on the reticelli venetian plate was very good. 16th c.
(I WILL UPDATE IN A MOMENT...checking homework)
I didn't fall in love with a lot in this book, but maybe it's different up close. With glass, and the way light affects it, it probably is. Glass might be the one medium that is done most injustice by photos, except for possibly sculpture. Even paintings look different in different light, but glass would be hard to capture.
3. I guess I liked the section on 19th and 20th century glass best, but you'd have to see the other glass in person. I like tiffany glass and nouveax, deco styles but some of the cut glass that's older is probably very pretty in the light.
4. p. 123. I like the strawberries on this glass by Stourbridge (1885). They look delectable, as if you could pick them right off of the vase. It's one of my favorite details in the entire book. The texture, and everything, I just love it. not sure about the whole thing, but strawberries win me over.
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Romantic, Passionate and Visionary Pre-Raphaelites by K.E. Sullivan.
1. La Belle Dame Sans Merci. There are two of these. I had the one by Waterhouse from 1893, and then there is one in this book by Fank Cowper, 1926, on the same subject. Cowper's has nice colors and detail of butterfly at arm, but the one I was inspired to write my original "soldier" song to, was the one by Waterhouse, and with the idea of the siren.
2. Lady of Shalott, 1888, Waterhouse, reminds me of my school friend Katie Fallon. They have the same face. The fore and background are both harmonious in this.
3. Light of the World, 1827-1910, Hunt. I like this one for the light and lantern. I think this is also one my Granny had a long time ago or maybe it was my Mom and Dad. It wasn't Hunt though, but same theme. There was the angel painting, the jesus face, and the hand knocking on the door with the lantern.
4. Ophelia, Millais, 1852. The lace above the water.
When I first got this book, I was drawn to several and took notes but today I am noticing different things. I've been looking at it too long. It was better with fresh eyes, finding what stood out most and feeling surprised. I like these paintings still for the lush color and symbolism and subject matter. They are warming in nature and I like them most in the fall and winter.
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Art Treasures of the Met, forward by Francis Taylor (1952).
1. Guardi (1712-1793) "Loggia of a Palace". Didn't notice it before but today I do, because it reminds me of small works of art I picked up at thrift stores in the 90s. They were 50s or 60s though, yet, resembled the style of this, and this is pen and bistre wash but what I had were watercolors. I had one of an Italian or French shore with boats lined up at the diagonal, and then another of a small boat stealing away secretly inbetween italian or fresco style buildings, through an alley and corners, into the water. Then I also bought b&w photos that were hand-painted with color which were small exquisite shots of italian and tropical places. They were stolen.
2. Workship of Giotto, The Epiphany, (14 c.). I thought this must be where Frida was inspired to paint herself on the bed that is rising above the earth with angels. here it is the Madonna, with angels above and anmials and Jesus beneath.
3. Crivelli (1457) Madonna and Child. I like a lot of the Madonna portraits bc the artists seem to have put so much effort and thought into them and the Madonnas are all very different from eachother. This one has her hand splayed in an unusual way and I like the bird and insects. In the 90s I was drawn to stills of roses and baroque bowls and vases of flowers, where they always included little insects, beetles, butterflies, small aspects of nature. I usually sent them as cards. It was between 1993-1997. All of my thank you notes and plain notes, if they were not of plain Crane's Stationary (or the kind with a paisley lining), they were of different paintings (usually baroque) of vases and bowls of roses and sometimes other wildflowers, with insects featured in the detail. Some of my thank you notes said "thank you" on the front and that's it, but that's the kind of card I bought and sent.
4. Gerard David, (1484-1523), Virgin of the Annunciation. This one I like for the expression on her face and I always wonder what some of the symbols mean, such as this purse in front of her. I don't know what crossing the arms this way represents in christian art. Oh help.? (she looks thrilled to be a mother at 14. just kidding. I read her expression a little differently).
5. Bosch (1488) Adoration of the Magi. This one I liked for the quirkiness (the men leaning over the window to warm their hands by fire) and the way the painter did her hair, like it had been braided and unbraided.
I like looking at women featured as models or subjects more than men, unless the men are done by artists like Whistler or where something stands out in technique or interpretation.
6. Ruisdale, Wheatfields. My favorite thing about this is the feeling of the clouds. I can feel the lonliness and weather of the clouds here.
7, Rembrandt (1606) Portrait of a Young Man. I am not really into men as subjects of paintings, but the painter got a face here and an expression or feeling in the eyes.
8. Ribera (1591) Holy family With Saint Catherine. It's not one that stands out except that she looks like my cousin Ivory.
9. Goya, Majas on a Balcony. The lace and see through scarf. I think I've been interested lately in how painters interpret lace, see through materials and ribbons (Whistler, goya, frida, millais).
10. Degas. Always liked him and his pastels, but not specifically this.
11. Daumier's Peace (lithograph). Very good political message.
12. Birth of Zal, Persian (16th c). I like a lot of the japanese, chinese tapestries and indian art, for complexity of story and in particular, like the design and style of this Persian one. It says tempura on paper. Tempura? you have to be kidding me. Tempura is so hard to work with (my opinion). It dries and that's it. You'd better have a plan beforehand! (not good for an artist like me who needs flexibility to rework something or change or add something...which is why I like oils)
13. Verocchio, Madonna and Child. I like the sheer material and some of the detail (rose and cherries).
14. Old Testament King (panel from stained glass, German). Not bad and stained glass too.
15. Unicorn tries to Escape, from Hunt of the Unicorn (french or flemish). This is so sad. The tongue on the unicorn is the worst part, parking this beautiful creature.
16. Fra Carnevale, Birth of the Virgin (why are the birds in a line like that? aside from symmetry with the building?)
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A Treasury of Art Masterpieces, edited by Thomas Craven, 1939.
1. Flight Into Egypt, Giotto. The color and obelisk of the halo, the mountains draped as in portraits where curtains or velvet are draped behind the Madonna, here it is the mountains as the drape and the night. The harness of the donkey/mule like a ribbon, and the way she carries the child with the baby leaning forward. I also like the line and drape of the folds in her dress and overcoat.
2. Mary's at the Tomb, Duccio di Buoninsegna. The combination of modern or geometric with the flow of the romantic lines and the brightness in color are what catch my eye. It reminds me of the Byzantine and ancient art history panels we saw in my classes but it incorporates other more romantic things. Not one I had out to write about but noticed the color today. I also like this Journey of the Magi by Sassetta, which has the straight line of birds again.
3. Quickly now, Baptism of Christ is sort of interesting, his feet in water (Verrochio and Da Vinci) with the child there, and like Mona Lisa and Madonna of the Rocks by Da Vinci and Michelangelo (some of these men are decent). Madonna of the Goldfinch I love by Raphael, for the rascal face on the one kid and the funny look on the other kids face, complete opposites. And I like her hair, the brige and colors of the water and rocks in the background. Flowers like lace at feet.
I do like the Umbrian School. La Donna Velata by Raphael, very pretty. I'm not into a lot of naked people or madonnas with naked kids. In sculpture yes, but paintings not so much. Even in drawings. However, the landscape to Sleeping Venus by Giorgione stands out and I like the plant growing out sideways from the earth above her head. The Dream of St. Ursula by Vittore Carpaccio for the mystery and parallelism. I like some of the flemish school too, manna and child by Hans Memling (but give him a wrap or something), and The Fall of Icarus by Pieter Brueghel for the japanese woodblock aspects and arrangements of scaled heights and landings. The sun is so perfect here. Some of Cranach and "Family of the Artist" I don't want on my wall, but very good artist and her chest looks like a photograph. Girl With A Flute from Vermeer, for the highlights. . American school yes (audobon and whistler, some of sargent), french school (degas, toulouse-lautrec, some monet, renoir)...just want to return these books but make some notes for myself to remember later and maybe to point to for my son. Also like "The Bathers" by Renoir, in this book, which is a nude but I like the composition and spacial as well as color elements.
Out of the 3-4 books above, maybe 10 items caught my eye the most. Maybe a few more than that, but there was a lot of it that I wasn't interested in at all.
I was going to comment on other art I like from the Art Deco book by Eva Weber and Phaidon Glass but I don't have time for it now so maybe some other time or maybe not at all specifically.

About Me

this is a blog about my life and thoughts on: clergy abuse (Mt. Angel Abbey); defamation by press (Willamette Week); freedom of speech; abuse of government powers; religion, and other social issues; and the art & humor in routine life; and is dedicated to my son